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SSD or 4k for iMAC

C

Christopher7

macrumors member
Original poster
Nov 28, 2010
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I am thinking to get an iMac 21.5 2018 inch base model upgrade it to SSD since the 5400 HDD is pretty crappy.
But for the similar budget I can get an iMac 21.5 with 4k panel but to stick with the 5400 HDD.
I do a little bit of photo and video editing but just as a hobby so it really doesn't matter, the thing is since 4k is getting somehow quite popular now should I opt for that so that my imac will have more valuable in the future instead.

Which is the better choice?
 

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I would wait to buy anything. Apple may refresh the iMac line like it did the MacBookPro line with updated CPUs—you might get extra cores for the same price. Even then, I’d try to save up and get the 4K with SSD, as you will be much happier that you did if you plan to keep this iMac for a long time.
 
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Yeah I heard people saying about the October updates but I don't really expect much on iMac especially the baseline model :/
 
Christopher7 said:
Yeah I heard people saying about the October updates but I don't really expect much on iMac especially the baseline model :/
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Might as well wait, seriously. It's only a few months. You don't know what they could bring out - just look how they surprised us with an unannounced MacBook Pro update.

Could slash prices, could make SSD standard on higher models. Either way, you're guaranteed to get more for your money with the updates. Nothing worse than buyer's remorse if there's an update just around the corner.
 
Do not buy a hard drive only machine in 2018 (or 2017, 2016, 2015...). Either buy the non-4k one, or wait until you can afford SSD in the 4k model.

Putting a spinning hard drive in a current machine is like running a race horse with 3 of its legs tied together.

Lack of 4k won't kill your performance. A hard drive will.
 
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OP:

First off, there aren't any "2018 iMacs". Not yet.
The iMacs you see for sale were released in 2017, and are still the current product.

Next -- buy either of the two iMacs you posted, and you are going to be VERY UNHAPPY.

Why?
Because both have platter-based hard drives inside.
And because they do, both are going to be VERY slow.
You ARE NOT going to like them.
You're going to come back here, and ask "how can I speed this up?"

The current Mac OS demands "too much" from the drive, heavy writing and reading.
A platter-based drive will work, but it WON'T be able to "keep up" very well.

THE MOST IMPORTANT iMAC BUYING DECISION YOU CAN MAKE:
Get one with a true SSD inside.
It doesn't have to be a large SSD -- even the 256gb model will do.

If 256gb isn't going to be large enough for you, plug in an EXTERNAL USB3 drive.
It can be either an HDD or an SSD.

If you take my advice, you'll end up a satisfied buyer.
Ignore it, and you're gonna be an unhappy guy.
 
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Hmm.. I am buying it urgently because my country just waive the 6% taxes until end of August and there will be new tax policy taking effect on Sept. I am selling my laptop very soon so I need a replacement or I can actually use my 2011 macbook pro. anyway just thinking if it worth the bet.

Btw, anyone using only Trackpad on the imac? Plan to skip the mouse.
 
If your budget can stretch to the 4k and a 256GB SSD that's the way I'd go... but its only a computer and not worth breaking the bank for. Otherwise, frankly, I'd stick with the 2011 MBP (they are great machines) and save up for something better - or look out for second-hand/refurb options.

NB: don't assume that wonderful new iMacs launching across the range in October is a done deal - its highly likely, but people just don't know the details of how the specs and prices will actually change - these days, you can't assume that you're always going to get more power for less money the way it was in the good old days. Anyway, the big deal is likely to be the more expensive iMac models getting 6-core processors, which may not affect you much.

Christopher7 said:
Btw, anyone using only Trackpad on the imac? Plan to skip the mouse.
Click to expand...

I use the Magic Trackpad 2 most of the time with my iMac, and it is great for general use (my tip is to enable 3-finger drag which for some bizarre reason Apple have now buried under Accessibility -> Mouse & Trackpad -> Trackpad options) however there are some things that, sometimes, still have me reaching for my mouse: graphics work and gaming.

Personally, I don't get on with the Apple Magic Mouse at all and I'd have to replace it with a third-party one anyway (currently using a Logitech MX Master but, frankly, I've had $20 mice that I prefer to the Apple one) so from my point-of-view, paying the $50 to get a cut-price Magic Trackpad 2 with the iMac is a no-brainer (you can always sell it on...)
 
throAU said:
Do not buy a hard drive only machine in 2018 (or 2017, 2016, 2015...). Either buy the non-4k one, or wait until you can afford SSD in the 4k model.

Putting a spinning hard drive in a current machine is like running a race horse with 3 of its legs tied together.

Lack of 4k won't kill your performance. A hard drive will.
Click to expand...


What if a person is getting a computer to just send email, browse the web, and watch youtube -- aka, an average user? For average users, a 4k screen is a bigger upgrade than disk performance. The first question people should ask when a person is requesting buying advice, is what will the computer be used for...
 
Tor Eckman said:
What if a person is getting a computer to just send email, browse the web, and watch youtube -- aka, an average user? For average users, a 4k screen is a bigger upgrade than disk performance. The first question people should ask when a person is requesting buying advice, is what will the computer be used for...
Click to expand...

Those people should be buying tablets (or smart TVs) at 1/3 to 1/2 of the price.

Like i said, buying a computer in 2018 and sticking a hard disk only in it is like putting square tyres on your Ferrari.

Not having 4k will not impact your ability to do stuff with the computer.

If all you're doing is browsing the web, mail and youtube, 4k won't make any difference really anyway. Youtube/streaming is mostly heavily compressed, rarely 4k content, most people's internet can't stream 4k, and 1080p or thereabouts is high enough for web browsing/mail.
 
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throAU said:
Those people should be buying tablets (or smart TVs) at 1/3 to 1/2 of the price.

Like i said, buying a computer in 2018 and sticking a hard disk only in it is like putting square tyres on your Ferrari.

Not having 4k will not impact your ability to do stuff with the computer.

If all you're doing is browsing the web, mail and youtube, 4k won't make any difference really anyway. Youtube/streaming is mostly heavily compressed, rarely 4k content, most people's internet can't stream 4k, and 1080p or thereabouts is high enough for web browsing/mail.
Click to expand...


Everything is going to look better on a 4k monitor. And you are overstating the disk drive impact if the op is going to be using his computer like most average users. I agree SSDs are better, and a lot better for some users, but to suggest that a standard drive is all but unusable for someone browsing the internet and reading email is ridicules.
 
Tor Eckman said:
Everything is going to look better on a 4k monitor. And you are overstating the disk drive impact if the op is going to be using his computer like most average users. I agree SSDs are better, and a lot better for some users, but to suggest that a standard drive is all but unusable for someone browsing the internet and reading email is ridicules.
Click to expand...

I'm not suggesting a standard drive is unusable for browsing the internet and reading mail - don't try and twist my words.

I AM stating that in the context of purchasing an iMac for > $1000 dollars (well, more than that if you're talking a 4k iMac - they start at $1300), installing a spinning disk in that machine is stupid; you are spending a lot of money on a machine that is going to be kneecapped on performance significantly.

Also, i am stating that if literally all you are doing is browsing the internet and reading mail, then don't buy an iMac. You're throwing money away; use an iPad or something else instead.

And no, not everything will look better on a 4k monitor. If you're streaming video over the internet (e.g., youtube, facebook, whatever), there's a pretty good chance it won't look any different due to

  • source media being 1080p or less
  • internet connection not keeping up with 4k

is 4k better? Sure. But you'll get more benefit from the SSD - every time you open an application, every time you reboot the machine, every time you save a document, and definitely if the machine starts running low on memory and starts hitting the swap.

If you want a 4k machine, my advice is to put money away for the SSD upgrade and delay purchase. If you can not wait, and need the machine today, go for the SSD non-4k model.
 
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throAU said:
I'm not suggesting a standard drive is unusable for browsing the internet and reading mail - don't try and twist my words.

If you want a 4k machine, my advice is to put money away for the SSD upgrade and delay purchase.
Click to expand...


You described a platter drive computer as a race horse with three of its legs tied up, so I'm not exactly twisting your words!

The op asked about two choices -- 4k or ssd -- and ssd can always be added later externally.
 
First of all, unlike many others I don't actually believe Apple is going to update the iMacs this year at all. The problem with the waiting game is that there's always something better, bigger, and shinier just around the corner. Thus, if you need one right now buy one right now and enjoy, it's not like it'll be rendered useless if Apple does release new iMacs a few months down the road. Especially if you can save on taxes right now.

Second, while I agree that hard drives can be painfully slow it always depends on the end user whether or not they will be considered a minor nuisance or a massive hindrance. I know plenty of users who wouldn't be able to tell the difference if I swapped their hard disks for SSDs in a covert operation at night without telling them. And I also agree with @Tor Eckman: a 4K display is just drop dead gorgeous and will have a HUGE impact on how you are going experience your iMac in most usage scenarios. At the same time, I agree with @thorAU: an SSD can make all the difference between painfully sluggish and blazingly fast.

Long story short: I would not buy an iMac without high-resolution 4k/5k display ever again, but I would buy one with an HDD instead of an SSD considering that you can add an external SSD for little money in a month or two if the internal hard drive does turn out to be too slow for your needs. Plus, Mojave is supposed to be significantly faster on HDDs than High Sierra so things might improve over the next couple of months.
 
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